Three detained for misappropriating 10,200 GEL in state Covid-19 support

Three individuals have been detained for misappropriating 10,200 GEL (about $3,238/€2,723) by fictitiously employing dozens of people to receive 200 GEL assistance, which the government of Georgia offered citizens who lost their jobs after the coronavirus outbreak, announces the State Security Service of Georgia.

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The State Security Service of Georgia stated that the detainees prepared fake documents for several dozen people, which read that these people were employed by the particular individual entrepreneur, and then submitted the data to the Ministry of Finance, as a result of which they received 200 GEL assistance per employed individual. 

Then the money was divided between the detainees and falsey employed people equally.

We found that the mentioned individuals were not actually employed by the entrepreneur and, consequently, are not included in the circle of individuals which is defined by the decree of the Government of Georgia to get the financial assistance", states the State Security Service of Georgia.

Right now the three individuals are being questioned at the State Security Service of Georgia. 

Lawyer of one of the detainees Diana Martiashvili says that her client Tamaz Shoshitashvili denies the allegation and links his arrest to political persecution as Shoshitashvili is chairman of the Saburtalo youth wing of the United National Movement opposition party.

The only thing he can remember is that a friend of his asked for a bank card because this friend had seized his/her account. At this point, he is likely to exercise his right to silence. We will know the details after they are charged and we have the full evidence", Martiashvili said.

A friend of Shoshitashvili, Irakli Gigiberia, who was with him at the time of the arrest, stated that the arrest took place at 7-8 a.m. near the Medical University, in Tbilisi. 

"They jumped out of two cars and asked which one was Tamaz Shoshitashvili. My friend answered that he was. He was told that he was arrested for misappropriation [of money belonging to the state]... I told him I would hire a lawyer... It then happened that Tazo was not brought to the State Security Office of Georgia at two-hour intervals. I do not know where they were", Gigiberia said.